Having a science city that has Colossus, Obsevatory, and Newton's, is not as effective in Civ II as in Civ I; nevertheless, it still reaps quite benefits.

It is like adding 3 to 4 cities, equivalent in size, to your research and bankroll. It plays a decisive role up to King's level saving a few turns off each technology and a few more coins each turn. Ususally, by the 19th century, you will rack up all the techs assuming that you turn into democracy around the 11th or 12th century. At the emperor's level, it still allows you to be technologically ahead of other civ's by a comfortable margin though not as decisive as in lower levels. The greatest benefit of having a science city at the emperor's level is that it allows you to be more flexible with other cities for which research improvements are not the top priority. I find it little worthy to build a science city at the deity level. Therefore, if you are playing mainly below the deity level and are trying to experience realistic conflicts of civilizations going through all the stages or eras, a science city is still potent. Of course, if you want to have fun, forget the idea and place yourself tiptoeing around with othe civ's on an equal technological level. That way, you will get to focus on tactics and strategies. With a science city in your hand, you will roll on all the civ's allied against you no matter which path to the victory (e.g. military or financial conquest, or space race) you choose.

A few things to remember. If you like to have a science city, don't be stingy on city improvements and WOW's in your science city. The faster you build the city completely, the better off you are in the long term. Extort money from your neighbors and spend like hell on your science city. Don't try to send caravans long way to get more bonus; it simply takes so long that opportunity costs exceeds the comparative benefits. Keep track of demand and supply. Then, let nearby cities, which have goods your science city demands, build caravans. Once you get railroads (usually, until then your science city does not have time to build caravans or freights as it has to keep on building infrastructures and WOW's), send merchants out for a bigger bonus. This is the optimal way to handle merchants for your science city. Then, transform everything except the terrains that contain trade bonus into grasslands to maximize population. With some carefully planned Presidential Days, the city will max out in heads. Turn all the nonperforming workers into scientists. There you have a city that pumps out 600 or more beakers per turn. It adds more points to your score since you can develop a future tech per turn once your capitalization finances everything.

Of course, having a science city works best when you play a democratic warlord, a lethal combo if you know what I mean. Not to be afraid of the senate intervention. There are a few ways to keep it under control. First, while you concentrate on develepment under democracy, encourage the hostiles to attack you by taunting them. When they do, seize one of their cities and agree to a peace treaty (not to stop with cease fire), they will soon attack when you provoke them with absurd demands such as "withdraw your troops" when none of them is present in your territory or else. Or, as a gambit, advance one of your 'attack' troops very deep into their inner territory but so close as not to get evicted. Do them to all other civ's who are territorially in contact with you. They will launch some sneak attacks. By the time you are ready to wage an all out conquest, your senate will be sufficiently disgusted by your enemies. At the same time, keep your Liberty Statue handy so that you can revolt in case your senate intervenes. One premise is that you have military or diplomatic (e.g. subversion) capability to conquer your target civ in a turn or two. So, plan ahead before lauch a major and fatally decisive strike. Of course, if you decide to play a democratic warlord, the Theatre will prove to add a lot more to your fun since it allows your combined task forces deep into hostile territories without taking their cities before preempting all out attack on ALL fronts, which will reduce a chance for your senate to intervene and the duration of non-democratic regime you might have to opt for over the period of conquest (let's face it, it is a lot more fun to fight a war under democracy because it is more frustrating like a real war ). This luxury of playing a democratic homo-anus at either king's or emperor's level is resultant of having a decisive advantage in your science which in turn is resultant of having an explosive science city.

So, I guess it is not vital to have a science city in Civ II to win. But, it adds a lot more flexibility in your playing. And, it is a lot more fun than the mindless monarchy or fundamentalist conquest which sinks Civ II into another war game. For a strict military conquest, I would rather play some better ones.

by Guitar115 at aol.com

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